Elegant Interviews!




Savage Garden Blossoms
YM Interview with Daniel
Darren interview with Houston's 104KRBE (thanks to Myth123 for the article=)!!)



Savage Garden Blossoms

Zachary Houle finds this Aussie dance-pop duo loves Canada, and not just for album sales.

There must be good vibes hovering around Orlando, Fla., because when Darren Hayes -- half of the Aussie pop duo Savage Garden -- picked up the phone there the other day, he was in quite the chipper mood.

Maybe it has something to do with performing just a stone's throw away from Disney World, probably one of the most utopian places on this planet. Or maybe it has something to do with just being in the same city that spawned successful swooning pop acts like the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync. But when asked for a simple name spell-check (just to be sure we don't tick off a horde of Ottawa Savage fans), Hayes decided to get a little playful.

"It's spelled with an R, a U with two dots on top, L ... no, I'm just kidding," he laughed, before spelling his name out correctly.

That incident set the light-hearted tone for most of the interview, during which the 26-year-old Hayes talked about his love of Canada and about the music that has influenced him.

Along with multi-instrumentalist Daniel Jones, who turned 25 last week, the duo has had a massive impact on the late-'90s dance/pop scene, which Ottawa residents can check out when they perform with five backup musicians at the Ottawa Congress Centre Tuesday.

They've distilled diverse musical influences into moving music. Moving as in shaking one's booty on the dance floor, and -- to their fans -- emotional lyrics. (I want to stand with you on a mountain/I want to bathe with you in the sea).

"I was raised on a lot of soul music, then Michael Jackson and Prince when I was old enough to buy records," said Hayes in his smooth Aussie accent. "Dan would listen to Metallica and Ace of Base, and consider both good. He's more objective about music, whereas I'm more a fan of artists and careers. I'm the one with all the U2 records in every single pressing imaginable."

Savage Garden was sown in 1994, after Hayes answered a "looking for a singer" newspaper ad for a rock band in Brisbane, Australia. While trying out, he hooked up with Jones. The duo hit it off well, decided to ditch aspirations for the other rock band, and struck out on their own.

Four years later, their self-titled debut album on Columbia -- with the hits I Want You and Truly, Madly, Deeply -- has sold about eight million units worldwide.

The album took home 10 out of 13 major Aria Awards (the Australian equivalent to the Junos) last year. They've been plugged on the Rosie O'Donnell show. They're in the middle of a year-long international tour. In short, they're on top of the world.

While a touch of soul and '80s Europop shines through in their songs, the guys have also been keeping in touch with much more modern music. It turns out that the Garden-ers even listen to Alanis Morissette, the former Ottawa resident who has gone on to mega-international success with her 1995 album Jagged Little Pill.

"Even today at soundcheck I was singing All I Really Want," said Hayes, referring to a song from the record. "Occasionally, I'll sing You Oughta Know...We really like the songs. (The music) is just so real and accepted on so many levels. We're really fascinated by that."

He adds that he and Jones are equally fascinated by Canada. The duo toured western Canada earlier this year. "We've been to Canada four or five times," said Hayes. "I think we've been to Toronto and Vancouver a few times, but we've never had the time to visit it properly on tour. Dan has had a few more vacations in Canada (off-tour) and he loves it. He's been to a few more places than I have.

"Environmentally, it's stunning," he says.

"That's why a lot of Australians vacation there. It's a lot like our country. I'm not kissing up to you when I say that we love Canada and there's a real kinship between the two countries. Australians and Canadians share a bond, and it's not just because of the Commonwealth (ties)."

He points out that Savage Garden initially received their biggest push in North America from Canadian fans. When the population difference of the two countries is taken into account, up until this year the duo was selling the equivalent of four copies in Canada to every one sold in the U.S. It's only recently that the Yanks have begun to catch up, going from a million units sold at the beginning of the year, to reach a total of four million units sold by the end of May.

"We might record some of our next record in Canada because we love it," said Hayes, who said he'd like to record that disc in Vancouver starting around December. "We've been slowly doing some new songs on the road. We need to write three or four songs to get one good one. I'm not afraid to say that, because everyone has a batting average."

Speaking about road life, how has he handled the grueling long days and the stress of virtual overnight success? of Savage Garden had on Hayes?

"It's been very strange," Hayes said softly, his voice becoming more sombre. "This job, and I consider it a job, has been like a hurricane. There's so much happening (on tour), it feels like I'm constantly in the eye. Then it all hits me when I get back home. I feel that I've changed, I feel older than my age sometimes."

"A lot of relationships and friendships have been hard to keep because you're always constantly out on the road. So, we'll see. Come back and ask me that again in a few years."

But he quickly regains his spunk, suggesting that Savage Garden won't be quitting the road anything soon.

"We're looking forward to coming to Canada," he says as a chippy goodbye. "There's seven people out on the road working hard to make sure you enjoy yourselves, so be sure to come out."

by Zachary Houle,
"The Ottawa Citizen" - July 30, 1998


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YM Interview with Daniel
YM Special Spring 1999

Claim to fame: The record breaking number one hit, "Truly Madly Deeply" and top ten single "To The Moon & Back."

Q: How did you and Darren Hayes beat the odds and become one of the biggest selling bands?
We were playing the local bar for the 700th time, and there were the same people turning up drunk and throwing bottles. We channeled that frustration into determination.

Q: Have you always been called Savage Garden?
We were called Crush, then we realized there was (already a band with that name) in England that was storming up the charts.

Q: Is it tough to be in such a small band?
When you are working this closely with someone, sometimes you can't see what they see. That's hard, but we usually have the same vision.

Q: You're on your world tour for the next year. What's that like?
Very unstable. I've always been a very stubborn person, stuck in my ways. And when I'm being dragged around the world, to hotel after hotel, after a while I get sick of it.

Q: Would you ever date a fan?
Yeah, if we were introduced by a mutual friend or something, but I'd never pick out a girl from the front row of a concert. Girls attracted to my onstage persona aren't attracted to the real me.

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Darren interview with Houston's 104KRBE
Thanks to Myth123

DJ1-On a cell phone from somewhere in California… Darren Hayes… How are ya sir?
Daz- Hey how ya doing?
DJ1- How are ya sir? Welcome to Houston, Texas
Daz- It's good to be here (laughing)
DJ1- Where are you praytell?
Daz- Well ya know what? I'm on the Golden Gate Bridge
DJ2- On the Golden Gate Bridge?
Daz- Yes I am
DJ1- Well then get the hell off… it's against the law (all laugh) You could hurt yourself buddy (w/ aussie accent)
DJ2- Don't jump man don't jump! You have a whole life ahead of you (says jokingly)
Daz- Life's been a bit complicated but you know things have been picking up lately since I've been talking to you guys.
DJ1- Are you in some big 9,000 ft. long limo that says Savage Garden on the license plate?
Daz- I hate those I get really embarrassed and I don't like driving limos. I'm in a Lincoln Town Car right now which is pretty comfortable, its still black and it still feels like I'm in a rockstar kinda thing but it doesn't scream out "HERE I'AM"
DJ1- (laughing) Right, you don't wanna pull up in a big limo in front of the hotel with the girls all screaming.
Daz- Don't you think there uncool though? There like the slayers of automobiles really.
DJ1- Well being this never happened to me I think it sounds pretty cool, right? (laughing)
DJ2- He wants the kind with the bathtub in back with all the screaming when he gets out of the door.
Daz- (laughing) Oh... Well you didn't say anything about the hot tub… alright fair enough.
DJ2- Hot tubs and chicks (laughing) So what are you doing in San Francisco, California?
Daz- Actually I live in San Francisco. I'm just on my way back from the airport.
DJ2- Where are you heading to?
Daz- Um home. I live in San Francisco but we've just come back from L.A. so…
DJ1- Outstanding so, how did you pick San Francisco to be your home? Just do you love the hills…?
Daz- It was a complete accident. I was living in N.Y, obviously I'm originally from Australia with an accent like this
DJ2- (laughing) No really? I couldn't tell
DJ1- (laughing) I thought it was West Texas
Daz- (sings jokingly) Outback Steakhouse (all laugh) Anyways we recorded our album Affirmation in San Francisco with Walter A. and he lives here and I just fell in love with the place so, I bought a house and he's now kinda my neighbor. But um yea that's sorta how I ended up here. I luv it, and its beautiful.
DJ1- Now do have a uh-don't give me an address but do you have a condo, a house, a apartment? What do you got?
Daz- I have a house in Murin County, which is really pretty, and I think I love it so much probably because it reminded me of Australia a little bit. I've been away about 2 years now and in America for 2 years so its probably the closest thing to where I grew up- lots of water and sunshine and its really friendly.
DJ1- and boatloads of kangaroos all over the place!
Daz- (sarcastically in a funny way) Yea exactly! I take kangaroos into the city and cheetahs on the bus. (All laughing)
DJ2- Just hops in the pocket and tips him and goes on about his business.
DJ1- Now when you go home to Australia do you private jet it or do you like hop a Quantas? Cause that's gotta be a hell of a flight.
Daz- I do Quantas, I just go out you know we've sold a few records but I'm not stupid.
DJ2- Ok come on are we gonna see you on a VH1 Behind the Scenes on how you ended up broke
Daz- Oh I dunno we're pretty tight with our money. Actually no you should take Quantas, it feels really good when you get onto a Quantas plane because everyone starts speaking my language and you feel like you're coming home but I go home quite a bit. I've been back four times and I miss my moms cooking, it's the best.
DJ1- Really
DJ2- Now do you ever cook any of your Australian favorites at your house when you got time off and kick back?
Daz- I cook quite a lot but you don't wanna eat what I'm cooking let me tell ya. Well I can cook 2 dishes. I can cook this stir-fry which kinda has like a saute sorta vibe and the way I cook stir-fry is I get a tub of peanut butter and melt it and apparently that's not the why the way you do it.
DJ1- (laughing) Damn that's pretty gross bro
DJ2- Peanut butter and vegetables.
Daz- (laughing) and I once put the saute in a bone sauce and you don't wanna do that, its like mixing tomatoes and bomena, and peanut butter together.
DJ2- good gosh I'm afraid to ask but whats the second dish?
Daz- oh the second dish is uh it's kinda like another pasta dish… I'm really a bad cook, thank you for revealing that on national radio.
DJ1- (laughing) good lord if you came up a couple levels you'd be a bad cook, cause you could kill people with that food!
DJ2- he could kill himself with that food!
Daz- You know what there's a Starbucks on my corner I think that's why I bought the house. I didn't realize there's one on every corner in America but there's a Starbucks on my corner and I wake up in the morning and I get a muffin and I get a coffee and for lunch I usually make a sandwich and I'm pretty good at that ya know. I get meat and I make a sandwich and for dinner I usually go out.
DJ1- That's huge! Now this is Darren Hayes joining us on the air from Savage Garden. Now here's the deal let me play "I Knew I Loved You" cause we've been playing that a lot on the morning show and I wanna continue our conversation. Hopefully he'll be at a red light in San Francisco in his Lincoln Town Car. Darren Hayes- Savage Garden " I Knew I Loved You".
(After the song)
DJ1- Darren you still there?
Daz- (jokingly) Ahh I'm just in loveland what a beautiful song… No I'm just kidding (all laughing) I'm just about to head through a big channel so you might lose me.
DJ 1&2- awww
DJ1- No come on man if we lose you we have David Cassidy on the other line as backup.
Daz- Oh well that's better than Leif Garrett (everyone laughs)
DJ1- Oh well check this out the song we just played uh do you know that T.V show that got a lot of big talk " Who wants Marry a Multimillionaire"?
Daz- Yeah
DJ1- They used your song as the slowdance when they got married, did you know that?
Daz- You know I heard this from everyone and they apparently used it and they didn't get permission and all sorts of problems but I didn't watch the show so I dunno… "I Knew I Loved You" and "Truly Madly Deeply" are both love songs that we've written and their very sincere and ya know sweet and I dunno how sincere that whole "Who wants to Marry a Multimillionaire" thing was.
DJ1- Uh not very (everyone laughs) about sincere as that cacaa peanut butter dish you were cooking up!
Daz- (laughing) When are you guys coming over for dinner?
DJ2- Never!
DJ1- I'll meet you at Starbucks for a Biscotti (laughing)
Daz- Cool
DJ1- Now you guys are doing a Disney taping because we had kinda tease this. Your doing a Disney taping on 30th of this month, a private taping or concert what's with that?
Daz- We are actually, we're just about to start touring but, before we go we start touring in Japan in April and before we leave America we're doing like uh its called a 2 hour special for Disney. It's where we choose like a local band to support us and then we perform a concert that they tape. A few people have done it like Christina Aguileras' one just aired and I think N'SYNC has done one and a few other people but its just a chance for us to sorta play live and show you what we sound like. We have a band we take on the road but you'll see that um I guess soon but we're touring America in July and August as well.
DJ1- That's cool. Well as soon as we finish talking to you, in an event that we lose you due to a bad cell phone, we'll go to the phones and pick somebody to be sent exclusively to your March 30th at the Disney taping in San Francisco, which is really cool.
Daz- That's the coolest thing because its all free and its basically all fans and contest winners and people who really just wanna see a show so, its gonna be a lot of fun.
DJ2- Just promise us one thing, that you won't cook for them.
Daz- (laughing) I will not cook any peanut butter dishes.
DJ2- Good
DJ1- Ok now have fans ever gotten on your nerves yet or are you still cool with standing there for and hour and signing autographs?
Daz- You know what? Anyone who gets mad about signing autographs has gotta be a loser because it makes you feel pretty good and you like the people who employ you and that's a beautiful feeling. Its actually pretty cool because ya know I treat people the way I want to be treated and we're not superstars, I'm not Michael Jackson so I can walk down the street without being mobbed. But if we do a show or television performance or something and people know who we are, I talk to them and sit down and chat and I guess I try to be on the same level. I'm not interested in being ya know screamed at because I rather have a conversation with someone so, I think I pretty much understand that.
DJ1- Dude I'm gonna play this back for you like in 10 years from now when you're locked up on an island and you're like "Get away from me!" and you start shouting at them and I'll say Dar you remember you said you like talking to people. (everyone laughs)
Daz- Well you know its pretty easy to be noticed and its pretty easy to be um to run through your life and be incognito. What we use to do was put on a baseball cap and a pair of sunglasses and its like put that hair gel in my hair and spike my hair up and walk like I do in "Truly Madly Deeply" video down the streets of Paris then, I'll probably be recognized but generally its not too bad.
DJ1- So has anybody ever mistaken you for somebody else?
Daz- Yeah they have, it's so funny uh it's happened a couple a times. There was a brief period when…I forgot the actor's name. He was in the remake of "Psycho"… uh Vince Vaughn. There was a brief period when he and I had the same haircut and I was living in New York and I went into a movie theater with friends of mine. The girl behind the counter said "Oh my god! Oh my god! You totally look like … oh my god, its you its you!" I'm like yes it is me then she's like "Your Vince Vaughn!" (everyone laughs) and I was like no no I'm not… I'll get a large popcorn no butter then I went into the movie and I felt like a big loser! (everyone laughs)
DJ1- You were like aww man the chick is groovin' to my music man…
Daz- she so gets me...
DJ1- its all coming together man (laughing) Vince Vaughn get the heck outta here!
Daz- I know I know I don't look like a thing like him anyways…
DJ1- Well that's great… Well here's the deal you are fabulous and your music is huge here in Houston. I know when you played the Aerial you sold it out and you stuck around for the autographs and that was really cool! Houston loves you and your just a great guest and we're just gonna go to the lines now and pick a 10th caller and fly two lucky people to see you for the Disney taping in San Francisco.
Daz- Fantastic
DJ1- (clapping) Ladies and gentlemen from Savage Garden … Darren Hayes! Darren thanks for joining us from Houston on 104 KRBE!
Daz- It's been a pleasure. Thanks guys!
DJ 1& 2- See ya!

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